Those who mourn revisited
Matthew 5:1-2 5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them....
“Who were those people on the mountain side?”
Pastor Starla asked me if I would expand a little more about the possible people in the crowd listening to Jesus teach the Beatitudes. (Referencing message from 7/14/2024, “Those Who Mourn”).
But as I contemplated, “Who were those people on the mountain side?” I realized again these people are not good or bad by the world standards, but for me they were examples of each one of us at one time or another.
We as humans prefer things complicated, dramatic, eventful and event filled lives. Yet Matthew shows us that Jesus’ challenge to each of us, is to let that all go and simply follow Him, to learn His Kingdom ways.
As believers in Christ, we should want to become more like Jesus. By allowing each simple Beatitude truth to build upon the other, that way we are changed in our thoughts, emotions and actions until we are emptied of ourselves and begin the process of being re-made in the image of Jesus.
To spend time on focusing on who were the people on that mountainside would be spending time ignoring the plank in my own eye and focusing on the speck in their eye. I am those people on the mountainside and I frankly I want to continue to sit at the feet of my Savior and learn from Him.
I want to be, so broken by the knowledge that I am hopelessly lost in my past regrets, my presents griefs, and future fears, that I can bring nothing but my brokenness. By bringing that brokenness He can cover me in mercy and teach me His ways.
As I allow Him to stripe away piece by piece of my sin, and brokenness He is able to empty me of all that is hindering me and keeping me from measuring up to His Kingdom. It isn’t fun to see my own brokenness, my sin, it is much easier to slip into an attitude of “It is too hard I will never change”, “It is hopeless”, or “I am worthless”, these are very true statements by world values. But thanks be to God it isn’t up to us to become perfect.
Jesus has already, sweat the drops of blood, He has gone to the cross, He has already paid the ultimate price, His life. Jesus has also, already won the victory for anyone who would call on His name. Then we can be led into a relationship with our Savior and learn how to go deeper in His love.
Jesus wants to work the miracle of building His kingdom in your life. Step by step, piece by piece building each layer until every person on that mountainside, is fully prepared to accept and live out the simple truth of Jesus. That He is the King, He has brought His Kingdom to earth and He will return for His people. Our job is simply to follow Him yielding to the comfort He longs to give everyone on the side of the mountain so we can know His Kingdom ways and receive the ultimate life-giving hope of a future with Him.
I hope you will join me on that mountainside.
- Pastor Debra Munson
But as I contemplated, “Who were those people on the mountain side?” I realized again these people are not good or bad by the world standards, but for me they were examples of each one of us at one time or another.
We as humans prefer things complicated, dramatic, eventful and event filled lives. Yet Matthew shows us that Jesus’ challenge to each of us, is to let that all go and simply follow Him, to learn His Kingdom ways.
As believers in Christ, we should want to become more like Jesus. By allowing each simple Beatitude truth to build upon the other, that way we are changed in our thoughts, emotions and actions until we are emptied of ourselves and begin the process of being re-made in the image of Jesus.
To spend time on focusing on who were the people on that mountainside would be spending time ignoring the plank in my own eye and focusing on the speck in their eye. I am those people on the mountainside and I frankly I want to continue to sit at the feet of my Savior and learn from Him.
I want to be, so broken by the knowledge that I am hopelessly lost in my past regrets, my presents griefs, and future fears, that I can bring nothing but my brokenness. By bringing that brokenness He can cover me in mercy and teach me His ways.
As I allow Him to stripe away piece by piece of my sin, and brokenness He is able to empty me of all that is hindering me and keeping me from measuring up to His Kingdom. It isn’t fun to see my own brokenness, my sin, it is much easier to slip into an attitude of “It is too hard I will never change”, “It is hopeless”, or “I am worthless”, these are very true statements by world values. But thanks be to God it isn’t up to us to become perfect.
Jesus has already, sweat the drops of blood, He has gone to the cross, He has already paid the ultimate price, His life. Jesus has also, already won the victory for anyone who would call on His name. Then we can be led into a relationship with our Savior and learn how to go deeper in His love.
Jesus wants to work the miracle of building His kingdom in your life. Step by step, piece by piece building each layer until every person on that mountainside, is fully prepared to accept and live out the simple truth of Jesus. That He is the King, He has brought His Kingdom to earth and He will return for His people. Our job is simply to follow Him yielding to the comfort He longs to give everyone on the side of the mountain so we can know His Kingdom ways and receive the ultimate life-giving hope of a future with Him.
I hope you will join me on that mountainside.
- Pastor Debra Munson